Forum Post: Beware a repeat of Kent State!
Posted 13 years ago on Oct. 28, 2011, 10:58 p.m. EST by MakeLuvNotBillions
(113)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
The critical wounding of a young veteran at the hands of "peace officers" is a cautionary event: beware a repeat of the Kent State student killings during the peace protests over 40 years ago, the result of the perception that defense of property (the Kent State buildings and grounds) was valued over that of the lives of the passionate student protestors.
Kent State was so weird. In the end, "the man" started shooting because he was confused and knew he made a strategic indecision.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_State_shootings#Monday.2C_May_4 "The guardsmen pursued the protesters over the hill, but rather than veering left as the protesters had, they continued straight, heading down toward an athletic practice field enclosed by a chain link fence. Here they remained for about ten minutes, unsure of how to get out of the area short of retracing their entrance path "
Protesting is a little dangerous, but the more people protesting, the less dangerous it is. Science.
We saw in the spring in Madison how Americans can come out and protest in millions with next to no violence. It is the bully instinct of people in power. When your numbers are few, they feel they can crush you violently, but when millions show up, they have a change of heart.
For some reason this made me realize a shocking point: Corporations merge and try to concentrate power. Governments merge and try to concentrate power.
I love what you say. When we show up in millions, we have a change of heart.
RE: Kent State. The national guard unit that made that horrible mistake, had just spent tw weeks putting down a trucker strike elsewhere in Ohio. They were very tired and stressed, nd then the Gov of Ohio put them on the KS campus. I have spoken to many NYPD at OWS and gave them this history lesson and pleaded with them that if they get tired to tell their superiors that hey do not want to be there in case they make a mistake like KS. Every NYPD I said that to listened carefully and said "I do not want to make that mistake".
Thanks God there are so many people taking movies.
Also beware of this:
Power to the opinionless, clueless, masses!
Sure, sure, Occupy Wall Street protesters are better than the rest of the 99%, I understand what you're saying.
But what I was saying is to be careful about assuming that the rest of the 99% will be on the side of the protesters if protesters were to clash violently with police, and if people can see that the protesters intentionally provoked and escalated the situation.
Popular doesn't equal right or moral. You know that as well as I do.
It's been said that there was a provocateur who fired a gun at Kent State to antagonize the National Guard into shooting.
Another thing to beware of. Be careful.
Agree, it is only a matter of time before the police state begins killing civilians. That is a foregone conclusion. The movement has only merely begun.
yes many will die- such is the cost of freedom
This must remain a peaceful, nonviolent movement. Nobody should be harmed!
there has never been a non-violent movement where many have not died.
try to understand that this movement - first began in the middle east- spread to wall street- and now the whole world-
again many will die-
Disagree. Just keep your heads protestors. In the spectrum of causes, there are many much more compelling than this to risk your life for.
The media making him a martyr turned into a mess http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/10/good-grief-leftie-hero-scott-olsen-is-founder-of-i-hate-the-marines-com/
It's funny how you guys are hoping some violent confrontation leaves a couple protesters dead. No different than any other commie revolution using your own people death as some political tool
The only ones hoping for that to happen are your brethren on this board.
Yep, no doubt.
You are a fool.
No, the police love non-violence as well as respect toward what they sacrifice on our behalf each day. But, when resources get stretched and the focus becomes redirected from thefts, homicides, accidents, et. al to attend to the needs of a movement, a cop might not be all to accommodating. Does this approve non-provoked violence, no.
Funny how so many co-opted union first responders in Madison, Wisconsin and now, visa via OWS, they have become "boots on the ground for the one percent". Just another vantage point.
Co-opted? No, the republican-voting police officers in Wisconsin saw the error of their ways when Scott Walker showed his true colors and the police union decided to voluntarily support the strikers. No one co-opted them and no one had to.
Republican union police? A bitterly small percentage, say, less than one percent? Note the forth paragraph, in Milwaukee, yes, the largest state police/fire unions, no. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/21/wisconsin-protests-_n_826246.html?page=2
So who co-opted them?
The Madison movement. Please, this became another progressive unicorn feather in the hemp cap. World media outlets lauded the virtual "slap" to our first responders further indurated by referencing the 9-11 heroes. Now, when these brave men and women are stretched mentally/physically on behalf of many OWS movements across the US, video footage blips onto YouTube so quick, no one can truly calculate, with a high degree of truth, what one is viewing. Heck, this forum posted a cop attacking an old woman....please, find the post, view, and provide your analysis.
I have no idea what you're on about, Joyce.
The police union voluntarily supported the protestors in Wisconsin. That doesn't constitute co-opting.
Now we're talking about 9/11 apparently. No idea what "slap" you mean, but I know of a group who delivered a big slap to the brave men & women who responded to the WTC tragedy.
That group was the Republicans in Congress who tried to block the 9/11 First Responders Health Care Bill.
That's much more of a slap than any tenuous connection you are trying to make between 9/11 and the police at Liberty Plaza.
Well, you took Kent State to Oakland, so, we'll call it even noting that your stretch was further than mine. I have no agenda other than a fierce (albeit, level headed) opposition to most things progressive. I, obviously, lean right (and occupy the 1-3 percent pending who/what gauges me on what day here) and support many of the practical ideas for change guiding OWS. When I sense someone is tacitly assuming violence, provocation (on either side) or questioning the veracity of our police, I get a bit proactive.
you know I'm right, OWS wants someone to get killed by the MAN
I for one do not want it. If you do, you're not with OWS, you're against it.
Your goddamn right I'm against an organization that is hoping someone will shoot some it's members in order to legitimize the cause